Pictured above is the first cohort of the Master of Tribal Administration and Governance Program. Tadd Johnson, Professor and Program Director, is in the front row at the far right.

Three open house meetings are taking place on February 24th, March 30th, and April 27th for prospective students interested in the UMD Master of Tribal Administration and Governance (MTAG) program. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with students in Cohort I at the March and April events. All three open houses will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. in 268 Kirby Student Center on the UMD campus.

"Local, regional, and national Indian tribes designed this program and the first cohort is doing very well. We are now seeking a second cohort," said Program Director Tadd Johnson. "The entire program is designed to accommodate working adults, offering weekend and online classes. Students who participate in the program will gain a firm grounding in the principles of sovereignty, ethics, law, management, budgets, and leadership. This education will benefit everyone, including tribal governments, in the years to come."

The two-year program launched this fall with 25 students. Executive directors from three area tribes, and several rising tribal executives and scholars, are in the current cohort. The program seeks to train future American Indian tribal leaders and managers through coursework grounded in ethics. It focuses on tribal governance and the management issues encountered on a reservation as well as the complex relations among tribal, state and the federal governments. The curriculum includes classes on principles of tribal sovereignty; tribal budgets, finance and accounting; principles of tribal management; federal Indian law; and leadership and ethics.

"MTAG provides the student with a good base of relevant knowledge to work with, or in, tribal government," said UMD MTAG student Lea J. Perkins. "The cohort model allows for you to interact with other professionals to give a multidimensional perspective. I found that the relevance of the program was something that I was able to see in practice at my job immediately."

Students in the program may already serve as tribal administrators, council members or tribal leaders. The curriculum is based on the roles that tribal administrators, leaders and professionals play in formal and informal situations that support tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Traditional language and culture is an important thread throughout the program.

The masters program has statements of support from the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes. The curriculum was developed in consultation with tribes over a two-year period.

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